New Abbot of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery to be installed Saturday, January 23

SOUTH CANAAN, PA [OCA] - Igumen Sergius [Bowyer] will be installed as the 16th Abbot of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery here on Saturday, January 23, 2010.

Father Sergius was elected on October 24, 2009, marking the first election of a member of the monastery brotherhood to the position of Abbot in 47 years.

His Beatitude, Metropolitan Jonah will preside at the 9:00 a.m. installation Divine Liturgy at the Monastery Church of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. He will be joined by His Grace, Bishop Tikhon of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, representatives of other monasteries, visiting clergy and faithful, and family and friends. A luncheon will follow in the monastery refectory.

With the blessing of His Eminence, Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the wonderworking Kursk-Root Icon of the Mother of God will be present for the occasion and available for public veneration.

Father Sergius, who also serves as lecturer in liturgical music at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, is well known for his efforts in arranging and promoting the use of simple two-part liturgical chants and encouraging broader participation in liturgical singing on the part of parish faithful. The fruits of his pioneering work may be found at www.orthodoxtwopartmusic.org.

The oldest Orthodox Christian monastery in North America, Saint Tikhon’s was founded in 1905 by Archimandrite [later Archbishop] Arseny [Chagovtsev], with the blessing of Saint Tikhon of Moscow, who at that time served as ruling hierarch of North America. For additional information, visit www.stots.edu/history1.html.